Skip navigation! Story from Coronavirus. Mirel Zaman. She was still working all week: delivering babies in nearby hospitals, performing routine exams, logging into telehealth appointments. A lot of doctor's offices have shut down. A lot of friends of mine have either had a reduction in work hours, or they were furloughed, or laid off.
It seems so stupid β we need healthcare workers right now. But it's a tough time to be a medical professional. Still, medical professionals felt the strain.
Doctors, dentists, and other health care workers faced several financial roadblocks. First, fewer patients booked appointments. Although early in the pandemic, most headlines were focused on overflowing hospitals , many medical professionals were having the opposite problem. Bartos explains. If people could delay a procedure, they did. In some cases, states ordered delays of certain non-urgent office visits. Bartos says.
He says many people felt unsafe coming into the office during the pandemic, but the loss of health insurance following layoffs or furloughs may have played a role, too. Meinerz says. But, in general, fewer patients has meant a reduction in income for the practice.
Additionally, medical costs have increased during the pandemic. In order to see patients safely, health care providers needed to use extra personal protective equipment PPE , which can be expensive.
